To Do It In and With Style

In perusing the recent activity on Kelli Matthew’s blog PRos In Training, I found a post that highlighted a Dunlop Tires marketing scheme that promised a free set of tired to anyone who branded themselves with a Dunlop tattoo. This got me thinking about marketing and public relations gimmicks and what people will carry out to drive their marketing or public relations plan away from traditional tactics and into the minds of their audiences. More than that, I had to wonder if I would ever have to be the architect behind some of this pumped-up PR? So I started to research what people are saying about this issue. Honestly, I really wanted to get some ideas so that if ever asked to be over-the-top, I’d have some strategies up my sleeve.

In my search for tips, examples and how-to’s, I came across many blogs that featured this list – the Ten Commandments of Crazy Marketing Stunts, if you will. The list includes a staged protest against your clients’ “good customer service”, nominating your client for an obscure award, and tying your client’s name or business to a current event, for example, local chiropractors sponsoring a marathon in hopes for a business boom after the race.

These ideas interested me until this morning when reading a celebrity gossip blog called Just Jared (my guilty pleasure) who in one of his many daily posts showed a music video made by musician, producer and member of the Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.am that featured a song called “Yes, We Can” which is based off of a speech made by Barak Obama at the New Hampshire primaries. This, ladies and gentlemen, is great PR.

The video features celebrities and musicians singing the lyrics which actually follow the speech exactly – and these aren’t B-listers either, folks. Scarlett Johansson, Kate Walsh, and John Legend are just a few of the ensemble showing their support for the presidential candidate. I encourage everyone to watch the video. It’s very well done. Here is a link to the video as featured at the Just Jared site.

I’m not sure if Obama’s people were involved very heavily in it, but this video showed creative and over-the-top PR doesn’t have to be limited to gimmicks and stunts that will increase car sales but it can be used for something hugely important and worthy of a national attention.